Right to buy eligibility extended to 10 years as government confirms reforms
Council tenants will have to wait three times as long to be eligible to buy their homes under major Right to Buy reforms announced by the government this week. The minimum eligibility period to purchase a council-owned home will be extended from three to 10 years, while the reforms set discounts at 5% of property […]
Free LawCare webinar will share tips on handling difficult conversations
LawCare, the mental health charity for the legal sector, is hosting a free webinar exploring how to handle difficult conversations with colleagues, managers, teams and clients. Held on 14th May as part of Mental Health Awareness Week, the panel of legal professionals will explore practical ways to approach difficult conversations at work with confidence. Topics […]
Ipswich firm is subject of latest SRA intervention – but no reasons provided
Ross Coates Solicitors in Ipswich is the latest law firm subjected to an intervention by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, following regulatory action this week. No details for the closure have been provided by the SRA to date, other than to say it was necessary to intervene to protect client interests. Proprietor Ross Coates is also […]
Demand rebounds to highest level since Middle East conflict began
The latest house price index from Zoopla reveals a resilient market in the face of ongoing conflict and higher mortgage rates. Buyer enquiries have rebounded to their highest level since the Middle East conflict began, running at just 2% lower than last year. Sales agreed are 3% lower, with house price inflation steady at 1.3%. […]
HMLR-backed Geovation announces latest PropTech cohort
An AI real-estate management platform is among the latest group aiming to benefit from Ordnance Survey’s PropTech initiative. Cohort 22 of Geovation, which aims to harness the “power of geospatial data”, also includes a firm targeting tree-management and another using QR-enabled property information boards at street level. The cohort marks 10 years of Geovation’s Accelerator […]
NatWest completes two-day remortgage transaction with PEXA’s digital platform
NatWest has completed its first remortgage transaction using PEXA’s digital platform, with the process taking two working days from the mortgage offer. The typical UK remortgage timeline is around four to six weeks. The accelerated timeframe was made possible through the use of automated workflows and real-time settlement capability within the purpose-built digital infrastructure. NatWest […]
Landlords ‘rushing to offload entire portfolios’ ahead of Renters’ Rights Act deadline
Landlords are rushing to offload property ahead of the Renters Rights Act coming into force on Friday, claiming the legislation is “the final straw” in a market that is no longer commercially viable. Kent and London law firm Thackray Williams says its litigation team has had a wave of last-minute instructions from landlords who want […]
HMLR encourages conveyancers to sign up for free guides, tips and updates
HM Land Registry is encouraging conveyancers to sign up for three free newsletters which deliver all the latest information, advice and guidance by email. Monthly newsletters Landnet and Practice and Process, and the new quarterly update Right First Time, have been designed to offer clear guidance and practical insight to conveyancers, along with timely updates to services. Landnet, […]
Independent survey launched to understand ambitions and challenges of Welsh legal market
A new study aiming to provide the most comprehensive and authoritative insight into the Welsh legal market has opened for anonymous contributions by legal professionals in Wales. The study is being conducted by Legal News Wales in partnership with legal software provider Osprey Approach. The Welsh Legal Sector Transformation Report 2026 will gather input from […]
Stress and high costs ‘bringing housing market to a standstill’
Surveys from the Open Property Data Association (OPDA) and the Homeowners Alliance suggest moving home is such an unpleasant and expensive experience, it’s bringing the market to a standstill. A survey of 5,000 home buyers by OPDA found 66% are reluctant to go through another move, with one in five saying they’d been significantly put […]
Shortcomings in continuing competence prompt CPD consultation from SRA
Shortcomings in the continuing competence training regime have prompted the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) to undertake a consultation into the future of ensuring solicitors complete regular and relevant training. SRA-regulated solicitors are required to maintain competence and professional knowledge as part of their obligations under the Code of Conduct for Solicitors. The ‘continuing competence’ regime […]
Taylor Rose fined £160,000 by SRA
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has fined Taylor Rose more than £160,000 for compliance failures including failing to return client money promptly. The SRA directed the firm to pay a financial penalty of £160,059, with costs of £1,350. The regulator said it had fined the firm for failing to have effective systems and controls in […]
SRA must ‘regain the trust’ of the profession and get back to the basics of regulation says new CEO
New Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) chief executive Sarah Rapson says the organisation needs to “regain the trust of solicitors, law firms and the wider public”. In a statement published on the SRA website, Rapson said the message is clear from the profession that the regulator is not getting the “basics of good regulation right” and […]
Unrealistic asking prices ‘piling pressure on conveyancers’
A growing gap between asking prices and final sale values is creating an increasingly stressful environment for conveyancers, new research suggests. According to Access Legal, price negotiations that persist long after instruction lead to conveyancers being forced to manage the administrative fallout, resulting in an increased workload per case and reduced billable margins. The software […]
‘Hidden tax’ referral fees should be banned, says conveyancing action group
Referral fees are a hidden tax on home buying and should be banned, according to the Conveyancing Task Force, a group of practising conveyancers, law firms and representatives from regional law societies. In a position statement issued this week, the CTF said it recognises “the reality that referral fees are entrenched across the conveyancing market,” […]
The Solicitors’ Charity partner calls for more action on wellbeing
The Solicitors’ Charity partner Lawsight is supporting the call for more tangible action on wellbeing in the law ahead of Mental Health Awareness Week in May. Lawsight is recommending practical steps that can be implemented to help protect people’s wellbeing at work. Satpal Kaur-Thompson, co-founder of Lawsight said: “The impact isn’t just personal. Long-term pressure […]
Women in Conveyancing charity hike up Snowdon raises £4,200
The inaugural Women in Conveyancing Snowdon Charity Hike saw industry professionals come together to complete a challenging 14‑kilometre ascent of Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa). The group, made up of conveyancers, industry stakeholders, friends, family and four‑legged companions, took on the Llanberis Path in fog, wind and rain. The group raised £4,200 for charity, more than doubling […]
Determined buyers sustaining demand, despite ‘fresh fog’ of rising inflation and house price slowdown
After Rightmove’s latest data offered a more optimistic picture of the housing market, ONS consumer price inflation figures and UK house price index bring what PwC UK described as “a fresh fog”. But despite the ongoing uncertainty over the Middle East conflict, other experts point out the house price index offers a backdated snapshot, and […]
LSB to ‘focus on sharper and more targeted interventions’ in response to changing regulatory environment
The Legal Services Board (LSB) is responding to a “rapidly evolving” legal sector and plans to change its approach to oversight regulation to focus efforts on “where they are most needed”, according to its business plan for 2026/27. Recently appointed LSB chair Monisha Shah said that while she will focus on discovery in her first […]
A third of first-time buyers don’t understand the process, research finds
New research from Mortgage Advice Bureau (MAB) suggests there is a ‘confidence gap’ among prospective first-time buyers which is stopping them from buying. Despite more than half (52%) of the 1,001 renters surveyed by MAB saying they’re ready to purchase in 2026 and 75% feeling positive about their mortgage options, four in 10 of the […]